Take a step back in time at Canal Days

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — Opening day of a newly installed historic bridge in Canal Park will help headline the 24th annual Canal Days Festival this weekend in Delphi. A festival that will have you going back in time.

Organizers from this year’s Canal Days stopped by News 18 at Noon to give us the scoop on this year’s event.

Besides the opening of the historic iron Gray Bridge, the festival will have food, music, boat rides and an 1850s pioneer village with crafters.

Festival crew member, Liz Irwin said there is a lot going on this year.

“We have Mike Siekel’s coming in with his historical flags from 1776 to present,” Irwin said. “We got some special events going on this year. We got a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Gray Bridge that connects from one side of the canal to the other.”

Festival chairman Mark Smith said the canal finally opened July, 4, 1843, which connected the Great Lakes.

“In 1990, the Canal Association, which was rather young in those days, decided to commemorate that by starting a festival called Canal Days,” said Smith.

Canal Days will take place Saturday, July 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, July 6 from noon to 4 p.m. at Canal Park, 1030 N. Washington St., in Delphi, Ind. Admission is free.

To learn more about Canal Days or hear about Smith’s tour called Faces of Façade watch the full interview above.